Welp, they did it. The Tennessee House voted 70 to 28 to pass a bill that would allow science teachers to teach alternatives to broadly accepted scientific thought, including evolution. The language of the bill is broad, designed: “to create an environment within public elementary and secondary schools that encourages students to explore scientific questions, learn about scientific evidence, develop critical thinking skills, and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues.”
But the intent is clear: to allow teachers to teach alternative “theories,” such as creationism, in science classes.
It is, of course, absurdist political theater, yet another example of social engineering and meddling in places where our legislators shouldn’t be meddling. Creationism is Christian theology, period, and has no business in a science class in a public school. But that doesn’t bother these clowns, who seem intent on making Tennessee the backwoods, possum-eating, snake-handling laughingstock of the U.S.
In truth, the bill is fairly meaningless, as it’s written. It’s a symbolic gesture, meant to appease the rubes and the GOP’s far-right base — and piss off progressives. Mission accomplished, you morons. Of course, these people never bother to consider that any corporation looking to relocate to Tennessee might think twice about asking its employees to move to a state that allows creative “interpretations” of scientific learning.
The bill will accomplish something: If Governor Haslam signs it into law, we’ll have another clear indicator of just how low he’s willing to go to pander to his party’s neanderthals. And how little he cares about its effect on job “creationism.”
